Judge swears in newest police officer

CAMPBELL -- The city added another police officer to its ranks. Yvonne Wilson, a former Youngstown police officer, was sworn in Tuesday by Judge John P. Almasy of Campbell Municipal Court. Wilson, who also worked for more than a year as a part-time officer with Campbell, is the department's 17th officer -- including Chief Gus Sarigianopoulos and an officer on leave of absence. He said about 16 people applied for the position, a process that involves two interviews, a background check, psychological testing, a lie-detector test, a written exam and a drug and alcohol test. "She was the best qualified of the group that we interviewed," said Sarigianopoulos, who has asked for another officer in next year's budget. On Nov. 6, voters passed a charter amendment stating that the department must have no fewer than 16 and no more than 18 full-time officers, excluding the chief. The old city charter tied police department staffing to the city's population, which fell by about 600 to about 9,400 between the 1990 and 2000 U.S. Census tallies. Sarigianopoulos previously said he needs a minimum of 16 full-time officers besides himself to give the city proper 24-hour coverage.